This document discusses non-thermal methods for decontaminating food of harmful microorganisms. It notes that consumer demand for fresh, pathogen-free food is increasing. Traditional heating methods can damage nutrients and are not suitable after packaging or during storage. Alternative techniques like high pressure processing, pulsed electric fields, irradiation, ultrasound, and pulsed light inactivate bacteria through DNA damage without heat. Studies show these methods achieve satisfactory reduction of pathogens in foods like milk, juice, meat and surfaces. However, more commercial applications are still needed to process larger samples at higher rates. Non-thermal techniques have great potential for safely decontaminating foods and equipment at different stages.

1. Copyright © Preeti Birwal
Preeti Birwal*
Department of Dairy Engineering, ICAR National Dairy Research Institute, India
*Corresponding author: Preeti Birwal, Department of Dairy Engineering, ICAR National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India
Submission: : June 05, 2018 ; Published: June 15, 2018
Non-Thermal Decontamination of Food
Opinion
In today’s generation the demand of fresh food with absence of
harmful micro-organisms is increasing with world-wide awareness
of the health benefits and risks associated with consumption of
food. Meeting consumers’ expectation is necessity of the food
industry. Food borne illness as a result of either post contamination
or inefficient processing of food with pathogenic bacteria is a
world-wide concern in this millennium. The European Food
Safety Authority (EFSA) reported and documented Salmonella
as the most common cause of food-borne outbreaks in the EU 3.
Numbers of outbreaks of foodborne diseases due to salmonella spp.,
L. Monocytogens and E. coli have been reported and documented
worldwide which caused loss of many lives in last few decades.
United States Centers for disease control and prevention, reported
that two-thirds of foodborne illness is caused by human enteric
viruses i.e. nor virus (NoV), hepatitis A and E.
So, questions arise about production of safe food and
decontaminated food with scrutinized materials and reduction
or elimination of harmful micro-organisms with advanced post-
processing will be beneficial? Now, on subject of advanced
technologies, many have been developed or being in development
stages by the industries. Most of the techniques involves heat
treatment, though heating is one of the best way to kill the harmful
micro-organisms but application is limited when think about
on other aspects like keeping nutrient safe and where food is
packed or in case contamination is happening during storage and
transportation. To overcome all this kind of problems the food
industry scientist and technologist worked hard for producing
fresh like products from technologies like High Pressure Processing
(HPP), Pulsed Electric Field (PEF), Ionizing Radiation (IR), Ultra-
Sonic and Thermosonication (US/UT), Pulsed Light (PL). These
technologies are designed to produced safe food with fresh like
nutritional and sensorial attributes. Destruction of bacteria
through almost all techniques is mostly occurred due to damage
of DNA of bacterial cell. The efficacy against the pathogenic and
spoilage foodborne micro-organisms is reported satisfactory. But
sometimes these treatments only damage the cells not destruct.
Destruction in HPP involves exposure of food to high
hydrostatic pressure up to 1000MPa. PEF treatment is basically
application of high voltage pulses of 80KV/cm for a very short
duration. Irradiation is done by giving 2-10kGy doses to food. Ultra
sound treatment is by generating high sound waves of 10-15kHz
in food and PL is a sterilization cum decontamination technique
for inactivating surface micro-organisms on foods, packages and
equipment with high light energy.
However,manyinactivationstudiesofpathogenswerereported
on juices, fruits & vegetables, fish, meat, milk & milk products.
Studies reported on how various parameters and operating
conditions of different technologies effect the micro-organisms
inactivation. In case of HPP 6.5 to 8.2 log reduction of salmonella
spp. at 600MPa for 10 min (21.5 °C) in UHT milk and 7 log (20 °C)
reduction in orange juice was reported [1-4]. Also, HPP established
its importance in inactivating hepatitis virus and feline calicivirus
in shellfish. The most heat resistant spore i.e. C. boltulinum was also
reported inactivated at 500-700MPa. Similarly, PEF has showed
good effect in inactivation of S. Enteritidis in melon juice and many
other fruit juices. 4.27 log and 3.75log reductions were observed at
2000µs (100Hz) and 1250µs (175Hz) [5]. Electron beam of 2kGy
inactivated the S. typhimurium by 3.78 log in sliced ham [6,7]. PL
of 1000 pulses for 200 reduced viability of S.typhimurium and
L.monocytogenes when inoculated on the surface of chicken with
2-2.4CFU/ml [6]. Also, murine norovirus and Tulane virus were
positively inactivated by PL [4]. Ultrasonication treatment for
juices have been deeply investigated and reported success against
inactivation of E.coli, S. enterica serotypes, L. monocytogenes. The
application of all technologies not just applicable to food and
food surface but successful studies were also investigated on the
surface in contact with food like stainless still contains, packaging
materials and knives. Inactivation was done by pulsed light and UV
light mainly for decontamination through any micro-organism like
E.Coli, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus repens. L. monocytogens.
So, now when there are uncountable applications, studies
and effects of all processing technologies have been reported then
why there are still issues in commercial applications. Where the
industries and technologist are lacking? Still most of the industries
are following traditional methods for treating and processing of
food with better conditions. Opting for novel technologies are still
Opinion
1/2Copyright © All rights are reserved by Preeti Birwal.
Volume - 1 Issue - 5
Cohesive Journal of
Microbiology & Infectious DiseaseC CRIMSON PUBLISHERS
Wings to the Research
ISSN 2578-0190

2. Cohesive J Microbiol infect Dis Copyright © Preeti Birwal
2/2How to cite this article: Preeti B. Non-Thermal Decontamination of Food.Cohesive J Microbiol infect Dis. 1(5). CJMI.000522.2018.
DOI: 10.31031/CJMI.2018.01.000522
Volume - 1 Issue - 5
looks problematic. Studies are required for large number of samples
and for different stages of processing with high output rates.
In short non thermal techniques have huge industrial potential
for decontamination of food and food processing equipment’s.
Commercially energy saving, convenient and product friendly non-
thermal techniques can be explored for more micro-organisms
which causes foodborne disease by getting in contact with food at
different stages of food chain.
References
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to pressure changes. J Food Prot 1(69): 130-136.
3. EFSA (2009) The community summary report on food-borne outbreaks
in the European union in 2007. ESFA Journal, pp. 1-128.
4. Huang Y, Ye M, Cao X, Chen H (2017) Pulsed light inactivation of murine
norovirus, tulane virus, escherichia coli O157:H7 and salmonella in
suspension and on berry surfaces. Food Microbiol 61: 1-4.
5. Mosqueda Melgar J, Raybaudi Massilia RM, Martín Belloso O (2007)
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light for decontamination of chicken from food pathogens: A study on
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7. Song HJ, Lee JH, Song KB (2011) Effects of irradiation and fumaric acid
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